Boy Scouts of America to Pay an Additional 18.5 Million Dollars

For negligence and covering up sexual abuse of some boy scouts for several years, a jury of nine ruled an additional payment of 18.5 million dollars from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

The organization has already been told to pay 1.4 million dollars to Kerry Lewis, a sexual abuse victim and one of the six plaintiffs suing the BSA. Lewis was 12 years old when he was abused 25 years ago.

The plaintiffs are claiming that the organization has allowed convicted child sex-offender Timur Dykes to continue to participate and lead troop activities. He was allowed to stay as a volunteer after being removed as a scout master, giving him the opportunity to continue abusing young boys. This is after he confessed to organization leaders in 1983 that he abused at least 17 scouts, according to the lawyers of the plaintiffs.

The 18.5 million dollar fine is one of largest amounts of money ever to be imposed on the organization.

The BSA does not want to issue any comments regarding the ruling, insisting previously that they were not aware of the record of Dykes and cooperated immediately to the police when they learned about it. A spokesperson said that BSA has been taking extensive measures to make sure there are no abusers in its ranks.